Coin-receptacle register



2 Sheets Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

N. STAFFORD. 00m REGEPTAOLE REGISTER.

Patented Nov. 4. 1890.

TNE NORRIS PETERS co, mum-mum \VASNMGYON, n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N. STAFFORD. 00m REOEPTAGLE REGISTER.

No. 439,791. Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON STAFFORD, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

COlN-RECEPTACLE REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,791, dated November 4, 1890.

Serial No. 344,156. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON STAFFORD, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Coin- Receptacle Registers, of which the following is a specification.

Money-boxes and toy money-banks have heretofore been made in which the coin is inserted into a slot, and in its passage into the box such coin is made to act upon registering mechanism to indicate the value of the coin and denote by the successive computations the "amount of money in the box or bank.-

These registering devices have required separate registering mechanism for each coin and have usually been complicated and expensive to construct.

My present invention is intended for employing one registering device and adapting such registering device to coins of one, two, or more values, and by the registering device is moved a distance corresponding to the value of the coin inserted.

In the drawings I have represented an apparatus adapted to the reception of fifty-cent pieces, twenty-five-cent pieces, five and ten cent pieces, and one-cent coins, and there is a separate slot for each coin, and the parts are constructed in such a manner that a complete revolution of the dial forming one of the slotted plates must be made before a second coin can be inserted into either of the coin-slots, and in the movement the coin that is inserted is carried around with the revolving plate a distance proportionate to the value of the coin before the coin is allowed to drop into the box. Thus, for instance, where the registering apparatus has one hundred divisions and a fifty-cent piece is inserted such coin is carried around a half-revolution before it is dropped into the box or bank. A twenty-five-cent piece is carried around a quarter of a revolution, a ten-cent piece onetenth of a revolution, a five-oent piece onetwentieth of a revolution, and a one-cent piece one-hundredth part of a revolution, and the coin in each instance forms a stop to prevent the further movement of the parts until such coin drops from the registering apparatus into the box, and the registering mechanism that has been moved through the intervention of the coin cannot thereafter be moved any farther untilanother coin is inserted, and I provide for indicating the total contents of the box or bank up to any desired amount, usually from one cent to a hundred dollars, and I provide a means for preventing the box or bank being unlocked and opened until a certain amount of moneyhas been introduced into the box, and this device is constructed in such a manner that it may or may not be used, at the option of the party closing the box.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view with a portion of the dial and fixed plates removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section at the line a; w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan at the line 7 y on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the mechanism for turning the dollarring. Fig. 5 represents the lock and the lockguard, and Fig. 6 shows a modification in the coin-discharge.

The box or bank is preferably circular, having the cylindrical walls A and bottom B rigidly secured together, usually by solder around the edges, and within the box is a partition or diaphragm O, the edges of which are supported. upon and firmly attached to the interior of the cylindricalwvall A. The top plate D is also firmly connected within the cylindrical walls A, and it has a central pivotal opening, and on this plate D is received the dial F. The edges of this dial are beneath and held by the inturned rim G at the upper edge of the cylindrical case A, so that this dial F is free to be rotated, but cannot be separated without injury to the parts, and there is upon the top plate D a circular range of ratchet-teeth 2, and upon the under side of the dial F is a pawl 23, coinciding with this range of ratchet-teeth to prevent the dial being turned backward. In the dial F and top plate D are slots adapted to the reception of coins of diiferent values. If these slots were all radial, the dial F might be turned in such a way that the slot 1 for one cent might coincide with the slot 50 for fifty cents in the top plate D, and thus a false motion might be given to the apparatus by the insertion of coins of different denominations through one slot. To prevent this difficulty,

I make the slot for fifty cents nearly radial, and the slots for five, ten, twenty-five, and

one cents at an inclination one way or the other to the radial lines, and the slots in the top plate D and dial plate F coincide exactly when the dial-plate F is turned around so that the index 4 comes opposite to the zeropoint 5 upon the box; but these slots will not coincide with each other at any other point sufliciently for a coin to be passed through either slot, and by this arrangement of slots, as illustrated in the drawings, I am enabled to insure the proper movement of the appader 6 is a dial 7, numbered to indicate cents from one cent up to one hundred or other indica'tions of value. It is preferable to provide'the notches in the inner edges of the countin'g-ringH, for reasons that will hereinafter be apparent; but the arrangement of slots in the top plate D and dial-plates F, be-

fore described, might be availed of with a "coun't'i'ng ring H having the notches upon the exterior edge. The receptacle pla-te I is below the top plate D, and the center portion thereof is stamped upwardly to form a circular boss that fits the central opening in the top plate D, and at this place the receptacleplate I and dial F are firmly connected together by rivets or otherwise, so that the two can turn together, and the central projection upon this receptacle-plate becomes the pivot upon which the dial and receptacle-plate turn. The receptacles I are of a size adapted to each coin. Each of these receptacles is in the form of a three-sided box without top or bottom, and the upper edges of the receptacle are connected permanently with the under side of the receptacle-plate at the respective coin-slots in the receptacle-plate, and the interior measurements of the receptacles correspond to the respective slot-openings, and these receptacles and slot-openings are placed in such a manner that the coin dropped into the receptacle passes into the notch in the counting-ring that is adjacent to the receptacle, and the coin rests uponthe downwardlyinclined or conical surface 8 of the diaphragm C, and in consequence of the coin fitting the receptacle loosely it will be held up to the teeth of the counting-ring; but if a smaller coin is placed in the receptacle for the larger coin the conical surface 8 will cause the coin to roll downwardly and away from theteeth of the counting ring, thus preventing the small coin being used'for registering the-larger amount, and as an additional precaution I provide a stationary curbK around the conical surface 8 and fastened permanently to the diaphragm O, and ahanging curb K fastened at its upper edge to the under side of the top plate D, the counting-ring H being free, so that it can be rotated between the two curbs, and upon these curbs are segmental guards L, occupying vertical positions and in line with the advancing side of each coin-receptacle, and the inner edges of these segmental guards are cut out upon arcs of circles corresponding to the particular coins, as such coins are held within the respective receptacles and rest upon the conical surface 8 of the diaphragm 0. Hence if a small coin is inserted into the slot and receptacle allotted for a larger coin, and the entire bank or box tipped sidewise to cause such coin to roll upon the incline 8 into the teeth of the counting-ring, such coin will not coincide with the arc-shaped edges of the segmental guards, and any effort to make use of such coin for turning the counting-ring by rotating the dial and receptacles will be'stopped by the coin coming in contact with the segmental guard, the shape of which will preventit passing; but when the dial is turned after the proper coin is inserted in the proper place the edgeof the coin passes freely by the segmental guard adjacent to its receptacle, and the movements heretofore indicated are allowed of-that is to say, when a fifty-cent piece is dropped into the slot allotted for it and the dial is rotated the coin forms acounection between the receptacle that is rotated by the receptacle plate and dial and the counting-ring is carried around the half-circle corresponding to fifty, and the lower edge of such coin is stopped by an upward projection 11 upon the conical surface 8 of theplate 0, adjacent to a slot in such conical surface, and the motion of the parts is arrested until the coin is allowed to drop through the slot in the diaphragm 0 into the receptacle below, and in so doing the connection between the dial and the counting-ring is severed and the counting-ring remains stationary while the dial is moved around to the place of beginning, and it will be apparent that to allow of this motion with a fifty-cent piece the conical surface 8 of the diaphragm 0 must be unobstructed for one hundred and eighty degrees. I arrange the coin-slots so that there will be an unobstructed space of ninety degrees between the coin-slot 25 for twenty-five cents and the stop 11 upon such conical surface adjacent to the slot in the diaphragm through which the twenty-five-cent piece drops, andI allow eighteen degrees between the slot for entering a five-cent piece and the stop for arresting the'movement, and a space of thirtysix degrees between the slot 10 fora ten-cent piece and the stop for the same, and I allow a space equal to one notch in the counting-ring H between the receptacle for one cent and the stop for arresting the movement of the parts when one cent is inserted, so that in all instances the stop for one coin does not interfere with the stop for any other coin, and the dial is free to be moved a distance corresponding to the same number of teeth in the counting-ring as there are cents in the coin, and from the foregoing it will be apparent that a computation can be made progressively upon the counting-ring H, the denomination of each coin that is inserted being added to that which before had been introduced into the box or bank, and upon the top edge or dial 7 of the counting-ring and cylinder 6 there are to be divisions denoting cents from one cent up to one hundred, and in the dial there is an opening corresponding with a similar opening through the top plate when the dial is at the zero-point, so that through these openings the computation in cents is indicated on inspection.

In the diaphragm O and around the outside of the cylinder 6 is an annular groove 12, for the reception of the cylinder N, the top flanged edge of which forms the dollar-ring, and this is divided up to indicate dollars, preferably from one dollar to one hundred, and the lower edge of the cylinder is formed with teeth 14, and there are at convenient positions upon the diaphragm O uprights 0 Figs. 3 and 4, for the pivot 15 of the rocker O, and this rocker is acted upon by a spring 16, and it has a pawl 17,to act upon the teeth 14, and there is a pin 18 (shown in Figs. 3 and 4) upon the cylinder of the counting-ring H, which pin 18 rides over the inclined surface of the rocker O, depressing the same and straining the spring 16 and drawing back the pawl, and the positions of the parts are such that the pin 18 passes off the end of the rocker as the counting-ring H is turned from ninety-nine to one hundred, and the spring 16, acting upon the pawl 17 causes the dollarring N to move simultaneously, so as to change the number of dollar-indications every ti me onehundred is computed upon the counting-ring H, and this indication of the number of dollars is apparent through the same opening and adjacent to and at the left of the indication of the number of cents upon the dial of the counting-ring H. These parts thus far described may be made use of alone, and there may be a door of any desired character introduced in the bank or box with a proper 'key, so that the door may be opened at any time and the contents of the box removed. It is, however, often desirable to prevent the box or bank being opened until a certain amount of money has been accumulated therein, as hereinafter indicated.

In one side of the box I provide a swinging door P, with asuitable lock thereon, as shown at P', Fig. 2, which is preferably a tumblerlock, so that the usual protection may be atforded by the peculiar wards of the key, and within the lock-case and behind the key-hole is a swinging key-hole guard Q, which guard is arranged so that it can be swung to cover the key-hole on the inside or to uncover it at the option of the party elosing the door and looking it. If the key-hole is uncovered, the bank can be opened at any desired time. It the key-hole is covered, the key-hole guard must be moved automatically by the computing mechanism before the bank can be opened, and in order to move the key-hole guard I employ the devices next described.

Within the box and around the outside of the dollar-ring N is a computation-ring R, having upon its flanged upper edge numbers indicating dollars, preferably from one dollar up to one hundred dollars, and the lower edge of this ring is notched for the reception of a spring-pawl 20, the spring of which is upon the under side of the guard-plate 21, and the pawl end, in the form of a small plate, passes up through an opening in the guard-plate into one of the notches in the ring B. This guard-plate 21 is in the form of a segment of a ring resting upon the diaphragm 0, adjacent to the lock P, and in the edge of this guard-plate 21 are notches 22 and 23, and upon the key-hole guard is a projection 26 and a hook 27, and when the door is shut the projections 26 of the key-hole guard Q will pass into the notch 23, whether the key-hole is open or closed; but it the keyhole guard is turned so that the hook 27 will come above the guard-plate 21 the key-hole will be closed and the key cannot be inserted until the guard-plate 21 receives an endwise motion automatically to swing the key-hole guard and uncover the key-hole. It is preferable to number the lower edge of the computation-ring R, adjacent to the notches therein, as seen in Fig. 5, so that when the computation-ring R has been turned to show the proper number through the dial and the pawl 20 is in the corresponding notch and the dollar-ring N has been turned to the number of dollars that are indicated upon the lower edge of this computation-ring R, a projection 28 upon the dollar-ring N will come in contact with the projection 29 upon the computation-ring R, and said dollar-ring N when receiving an additional movement will move the said computation-ring R, and the guard-plate 21 being connected to the con1- putation-ring R by the pawl 20 the two will move together in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, and the part of the guard-plate 21 that held the hook 27 moves away from such hook, and the key-hole guard is swung by the action of the plate 21 on the projection 26, and the key-hole is uncovered, and the key can be inserted for opening the lock.

It is to be understood that the upper part of the swinging door P covers the openingin the side of the case, so that when the swinging door is unlocked and opened access is given to the spring-pawl 20 and to the computation-ring, so that such computation-ring can be moved around after the spring-pawl is disengaged for setting the computation-ring at any point where it is desired to allow the box or bank to be opened, and it is also advantageous to have the holding-pawl 20 and the pawl 17 adjacent to the opening in the case, so that when the door is open the counting-ring, dollar-ring, and computing-ring can be set around to zero, or the points of beginning, and it is better to provide a plate 30, projecting inwardly from the upper part of the door and beneath the openings in the diaphragm containing these pawls, so as to pre 11 and pass through the slot in the cylindrical segment 1 and the coin will be discharged inwardly through the central opening in the diaphragm 0 instead of passing vertically through a slot in such diaphragm.

In order to apply a friction to the respective counting, dollar, and computation rings,

or either of them, it is advantageous to groove such rings peripherally and provide wire springs with one end fastened to the diaphragm O and the other end resting and pressing into such peripheral groove with the proper force to produce the desired friction.

It will be apparent that this money-bank can be adapted to the reception of coins of any desired denominations, and the boxes or banks can be of various sizes. Forinstance, one box can be adapted to one-cent coins, and the computation would be from one cent up to one dollar. Another box may be for fivecent coins, and each notch of the ring H might then represent five cents and the dial be numbered five, ten, fifteen, &c., from five cents up to five dollars, and in like manner a box for ten-cent pieces may be made with the counting-ring H numbered up to ten dollars, and for twenty-five-cent pieces up to twentyfive dollars, and for fifty-cent pieces up to fifty dollars. pin 28 may be on the counting-ring H, and the computation-ring B may then be moved directly by the ring H, the action of the respective parts remaining unchanged. If desired to open the lock when the countingring H has made one complete revolution, there may be a projection on the ring H, that will come directly into contact with a projection on the guard-plate 21 to move the same, or it might act against the projection 26 of the key-hole guard and swing the same. At 48, Fig. 3, I have represented by dotted lines such a projection as extending out from the ring H.

In Fig. '6 I have represented the countm-gring Has extended downwardly with the teeth on the conical inclined surface, so that the coin in the receptacle 1 will rest in the groove If the dollar-ring N is omitted, thebetween the teeth and tend to run down the incline. Hence as soon as the coinarrives .at

.the sto 11*, which is u on the vertical stationary cylinder 0 the movement will be arrested and the coin will roll down the incline and pass through its slot in the cylinder 0 the other parts remaining unchanged. In

. this case the guards L will be upon the cylinder I claim as my invention 1. The combination, in a toy bank or box, of a stationary plate and a movable dial-plate containing slots adapted to the reception of coins of different sizes, the slots in one plate coinciding with the slots, in the other plate for the reception of the particular coin, but the respective slots occupying various angular positions to the center of motion, so that the slot in one plate for one coin will not coincide with the slot in the other platefor a difierent coin, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a bank or box, of a counting-ring, a stationary top plate, a movable dial, coin-slots in the top plate and dial, respectively, coin-receptacles adapted to receive coins with the edge of the coin in one of the slots of the counting-ring, and a stop or stops with which the coins come into contact when the dial and the countingringhavebeen rotated a distance corresponding to the computation to be indicated by the counting-rin g, substantially as set forth.

3. A counting-ring having projecting teeth and figures denoting the respective numbers in succession, in combination with a box having a top plate, a dial adapted to be moved by hand, there being coin-slots in the top plates and dials, respectively, a coin-receptacle connected with the dial, a partition with an inclined surface upon which the coin rests, and a stop with which the coin comes into contact after the dial has been moved the proper distance, there being an opening through which the coin passes after its movement has been arrested, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination,-in a money bank orbox, of a dial, a top plate to the money-box beneath the dial,a receptacle-plate beneath the top plate and connected with the dial, coinreceptacles connected with the receptacleplate and coinciding with the slots in the dial, a diaphragm having an inclined surface upon which the lower edge of the coin rests, a counting-ring having teeth with which the edge of the coin is brought into contact, and stops for arresting the movement of the parts, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a box or bank and the dial having slots therein and in the top plate, of a counting-ring having teeth with which the edge of the coin is brought into contact, coin-receptacles receiving motion from the dial, and segmental guards, the edges of which coincide with the particular coin that is allowed to pass, but which guards arrest the movement of the parts it a coin of a different size is introduced into the coin-receptacle, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the box or bank for receiving coins, and the slotted. dial and counting-ring notched to receive the coin, ot a dollar-ring adjacent to the counting-ring, a pawl, and mechanism for moving the dollarring one notch every revolution of the counting-ring, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the box or bank and the counting-ring H, notched to receive coins, of the dial slotted for the passage of the coin and the dollar-ring N, the rocker O spring 16, pawl 17, and pin 18, for communicating motion from the counting-ring to the dollar-ring, one notch each rotation of the counting-ring, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the box or bank and the counting ring, of the computing-ring around the countiug-ring, a door and lock to the box or bank, and a key-hole guard and a guard-plate connected to and moving with the computing-ring and giving motion to the key-hole guard, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with the box or bank adapted to the reception of coins, of a door and look, a key-hole guard, a counting or computing ring acted upon automatically, a hook upon the key-hole guard, and a guard-plate connected with the counting or computing ring, whereby the key-hole guard is held in place over the key-hole until the computationring is moved, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 11th day of March, 1890.

N. STAFFORD.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. MoTT. 

